Mechanical device



Oct. 11, 1949. E. K. CLARK I MECHANICAL DEVICE Filed June 4, 1945 mvzmor ij far/K C/a fk.

ATTORNEY driven turbine.

Patented Oct. 11, 1949 MECHANICAL DEVICE Earl K. Clark, Mansfield, Ohio,assignor' to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application J une 4, 1945, Serial No. 597,575

2 Claims.

This invention relates to air-turbine apparatus and, more particularly, to an internally mounted air turbine and manifolding structure therefor which may be mounted in a rapidly propelled body, such as a projectile.

It has been proposed to provide a projectile with an electroresponsive fuse mechanism for which it is necessary to insure availability of a source of electrical energy that will be operative only when the projectile has been armed for use and which will not lose its efficiency during such time as the projectile must be stored. It has been found expedient to provide a small highspeed generator for such a projectile and means for operating the generator comprising an air- In order to insure protection of such a turbine, and to prevent operation thereof from adversely affecting the trajectory of theprojectile, it has been found desirable to enclose the mechanism entirely within the body of the projectile and to provide means for introducing and exhausting air for driving the turbine automatically. An air-operated turbine having these characteristics might also be employed in apparatus other than projectiles, such as a control mechanism carried by a vehicle, or as a control unit for certain types of apparatus depending for satisfactory operation upon a cooling air stream.

One object of the invention is to provide a high speed turbine mechanism including a turbine rotor constructed and arranged to be mounted in a suitable chamber formed entirely within a body which is adapted to be propelled through the air or supported in a moving air stream, and manifold means constructed in the body for supplying and exhausting air to and from the chamber for driving the turbine during the operative period of the body.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in the forward portion of a body adapted to be propelled at high speed, of an intake and exhaust manifold structure comprising sturdy, relatively simple parts adapted to be economically manufactured by mass-production techniques,

and a turbine mechanism adapted to be mounted entirely within the body and having turbine rotor means disposed within the stream of air created by the manifold structure.

air turbine, using parts that can be economically produced as diecastings.

It-is-stillanother object of the 'invention to provide a projectile having a front or nose por tion, an air-turbine device mounted within the projectile, rearwardly of the nose portion, and manifolding means for automatically impinging air on the turbine device, and having intake and outlet openings both of which are disposed adjacent the nose portion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following more detailed description thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is'a longitudinal sectional view of the forward portion of a projectile equipped with an air-turbine mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention.

The projectile illustrated in the drawing is of a type in which there is employed a detonating charge, a squib for exploding the charge, electrical heating means for igniting the squib, and means for energizing the heating means, including a generator and amplifier unit under the control of a suitable photoelectric means carried adjacent the nose or forward end of the projectile. All of these elements have not been illustrated in the drawing, since their description in the In the form illustrated, the projectile comprises a fuse unit 5, only the forward portion of which is shown,

but which may include suitable related fuse arming means, squib, powder train and detonator, not shown in detail. A substantially cylindrical shellmember 6 is secured to the fuse unit 5, in

association witha cylindrical housing "I mounted coaxially within the shell member 5, a nose portion .8. carried by the housing 1, a light tubular casing Q, and a body It suitably secured to the shell'portion 6 and having an ogive surface H. Both the shell member 5 and the inner housing 1 may be formed as die castings. The fuse unit 5 of the projectile is provided with a plurality of lateral extensions, such as that indicated by the reference character i2, to which extensions an annular member i3 is secured by means of a plurality of screws M. Formed on the adjacent end of the cylindrical shell member 6 are a plurality of legs it which are adapted to fit between the extensions l2 on the fuse unit 5 and to be secured to the annular member It by means of screws H. 'The end of the shell member 6 opposite the legs 16 has formed thereon an annular bell-shaped "wall 19 terminating in an annular frontal rim 20 from which extends a retrorse shroud or skirt portion 22. This skirt portion 22 has an outer ogival surface 23 that is related to the ogival surface I I for a purpose hereinafter explained. It will be noted that each of the leg portions l6 (only one of which is illustrated) continues as a rib 25 throughout the length of the shell member 6 and terminates in a web portion 26, extending between the bell-shaped wall I 9 and the skirt portion 22.

Each of the rib portions 25 formed on the shell member 6 carries a small longitudinally disposed tongue portion 28 adapted for interlocking engagement within a complementary groove 29 formed in a ring element 36, which is adapted to be fitted to the forward end of the shell member, with the enlarged end 3| of the ring member abutting the plurality of web portions 26, as shown in the drawing. After assembly of the ring member 36 and shell member 6, the projecting portion of each tongue 28 may be swedged to prevent displacement of the ring member. The ring member 30 is further provided with a screw-threaded portion which may be secured into a threaded bore in the forward end of the body [0. It will be noted that the forward end of body [6 seats on the portion 3| of the ring, and that the inner wall of the body is spaced outwardly of the shell member 5. Interposed between the body l6 and the shell member 6 is the thin-walled tubular casing 9, the forward end of which carries a flange 32 adapted to be clamped between an annular shoulder 34 formed on body I!) and a retaining ring 33 carried by the body. Operating clearance is provided between the outer wall of shell member 6 and the inner surface of the casing 9 so that the unit may readily be assembled by threading ring element 30 into engagement with body It.

The cylindrical housing 1 has a diameter less than that of the inner wall of the shell member 6, and is supported concentrically within that member by means of a plurality of screw-threaded elements 35, each of which is fitted through a suitably threaded aperture formed in the shell member in registration with a similar aperture in the housing. Concentric disposition of the cylindrical housing 1 within the shell member 6 is assured by the spiral ribs la formed about the surface of the housing 1. The ribs la in conjunction with the inner surface of member 6 form passages spirally of the housing 6 directed towards the turbine blades and produce a rotating air mass rotating in the direction of turbine rotation which impinges on the turbine blades. The result is an increase in turbine efliciency since a larger component of force is delivered by the air stream to the turbine blades in the direction of turbine rotation than would exist in the case of a purely axial flow. The forward end of the cylindrical housing 1 is closed by the nose' portion 8 of the projectile, which is suitably secured thereto and presents an ogival surface 31 disposed forwardly of and in concentric relation with the bell-shaped annular wall I!) of the shell member 6. Thus air flowin past the surface 31 will be directed within the bell-shaped wall.

Mounted within the housing I is a suitable generator mechanism which is represented by the rectangle 39, and which has associated therewith suitable journal means (not shown) for operatively supporting the shaft of an internally mounted turbine rotor 46. The rotor 40 is preferably formed of a suitable plastic composition,

and may be fitted with permanent magnets (not,-

4 shown) for cooperation with stator coils of the generator 39.

It will now be seen that the inner housing I, the cylindrical shell member 6, and the casing or body ID are so constructed and arranged as to provide an annular, forwardly directed inlet opening 42, communicating with the spiral passageways 43 which extend between the housing I and shell member 6 to an interior annular chamber 44, from which an annular passage 45 leads forwardly between the outer wall of the shell member 6 and the inner wall of the body l6 and communicates with an annular discharge opening 46 directed rearwardly adjacent the skirt portion 22. The turbine rotor 46 has formed on the outer surface thereof a plurality of inclined vanes 50, which project beyond the adjacent end lb of the housing 1 and into the path of air which is caused to flow from the passage 43 to the chamber 44, as hereinafter explained.

When the projectile is propelled through the air at a high speed, the impact of air entering the annular inlet opening 42, aided by the drag of air flowing rearwardly past the skirt portion 22 and outer ogival surface ll of the casing 10, results in the creation of a pressure differential which is sufiicient to cause air to flow through the spiral passageways 43, to impinge upon the blades 56 of the turbine rotor 46 whence the air discharges into the chamber 44, where the flow of air is reversed and continued forwardly through the annular passageway 45 to the discharge opening 46. This transfer of air is thus due to the reduction in fluid pressure at the discharge opening 46 relative to the fluid pressure at the inlet opening 42. As the stream of air is thus impinged on the blades 50 carried by the turbine rotor 40, the rotor is rapidly revolved for operating the generator 39 associated therewith. It will be noted that the outer surfaces of the blades 56 are disposed parallel to and closel adjacent the inner wall of the shell member 6, so that substantially the entire volume of air transferred from the passageway 43 to the chamber 44 exerts an effective force on the blades.

It will thus be apparent that, with the turbine rotor 40 operatively mounted adjacent the chamber 44 entirely within the projectile, no damaging force can be brought to bear against the rotor, as when the projectile is being transported, for example. In addition, by mounting the turbine rotor interiorly of the projectile, in association with manifolding means for introducing and exhausting air for operating the device, I have rendered possible the compact mounting of necessary control elements of the fuse assembly of the projectile in the cylindrical housing I, thus facilitating assembly of the projectile.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is new and desired to secure by Letters Paten 1. In a projectile, an elongated substantially cylindrical housing base, a member disposed within said base remote from the forward end thereof and rigidly secured to the base, a substantially cylindrical shell section having a plurality of extensions at one end and terminating at the other end in an outer annular retrorse shroud portion, means for joining said extensions to said member, a cylindrical housing of smaller diameter than that of said shell section secured in spaced relation therein to define an interior annular passageway, said passageway having an inlet opening forwardly between said housing and said shell section and an outlet opening rearwardly adjacent said shroud portion, and air-operated turbine means operatively mounted to be propelled by air driven through said passageway.

2. In a projectile, an elongated generally cylindrical housing base comprising the body of the projectile, a member disposed within and rigidly secured transversely of the projectile body remote from the forward end, a substantially cylindrical shell section having a plurality of extensions at one end and terminating at the other end in an outer annular retrorse shroud portion, means for joining said extensions to said member, a cylindrical housing of smaller diameter than that of Said shell section secured in spaced relation therein to define an interior annular passageway, said passageway having an inlet opening forwardly between said housing and said shell section, a sleeve member of larger diameter than that of said shell section, means for holding said sleeve member outwardly of said shell section to define an outer annular passageway communicating with said interior passageway, said outer passageway having an outlet 6 opening rearwardly adjacent said shroud portion, and air-operated turbine means mounted in said housing in the path of air impelled into said inlet opening and through said interior and outer annular passageways to said outlet opening.

EARL K. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 384,662 Zalinski June 19, 1888 1,000,862 Voller Aug. 15, 1911 1,180,403 Leblanc Apr. 25, 1916 2,080,425 Lysholm May 18, 1937 2,255,245 Ferrel Sept. 9, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,089 Great Britain 1912 

